Beaten
by IceHeart161
Summary: Nothing's easy. Love only makes it harder.
1. One: Another Nightmare

Hey, y'all. I'm back, here's the new one. If you haven't read Twilight, don't read this. The song is 'Fields of Innocence' by Evanescence. I can't check who reviewed right now, but thank you to all who reviewed on the last chapter of Twilight.

_I still remember the world_

_From the eyes of a child._

_Slowly those feelings were clouded_

_By what I know now._

Rena opened her eyes and looked around. Nightmares, they were plaguing her. She hadn't had a full, or good for that matter, nights sleep since what happened at the mansion. A little over two thirds of the humans that had been at the mansion that night had died, Emily included. Now the survivors that were in the area at the time were crammed in houses all over southern California. Those who hadn't made it to the mansion were still scattered around the world. Rena and many others were stationed in L.A.

Blue eyes met Rena's brown, it was Shea Redfern. "Another nightmare?" Rena asked her quietly, there were, after all, three other girls in the room. 

Shea nodded, "You too?" she asked.

Rena nodded in return and looked at the glowing wall clock, 5:30. "Maybe we should just set an alarm for now," she joked. Shea didn't laugh. Rena didn't know whom the vampire girl had lost, but he must have been important. "Do you want to take the first shower today?"

"Yeah, thanks." She stood up and went into one of the houses three bathrooms. After a minute or so, Rena heard the shower turn on. She, too, stood up but she went to the living room, wearing just her boxers and a spaghetti string top. The couch beckoned to her; she sat down and flipped on the TV. 

_"More mysterious killings happened in Las V---"_ she changed the channel. There was some weird '80's movie on TNT that they seemed to play every morning. It had something to do with kids traveling through time to the days of king Arthur and Merlin, with really cheesy effects.

"You're up early, _again_, Rena," observed Timon, a fellow shape-shifter. 

"I just like to get an early start on the day," she replied lightly. "Are you making coffee?"

"Don't I always?" After almost a month of living in close quarters with the other Daybreakers, Rena knew their routines, and hers, by memory, but she still asked. "Is Shea up, too?" he asked while making the beverage.

"I think she's still in the shower. She's been in there for awhile." It had to have been at least a half an hour since the young vampire went into the bathroom.

"Well, you should know how girls are in the shower, always taking your precious time, even if you're living with seven other people."

"Oh, shut up, Timmy!"

Scalding water was hitting Shea, but it might as well have been ice; she didn't feel it. She couldn't feel anything. As tears streamed down her face, she reflected. After the initial shock of losing her soulmate had worn off numbness stole over her. It helped her to get through those first days of just living on the losing side. But as the days passed, the realization hit her like a sharp object; no matter how long she existed life would only be a shadow of what it once was. Ryder, her one and only, was gone, and he wasn't coming back. 

Her body slid down the shower wall; she just sat in the tub as the all-to-hot water hit her; unnoticed tears were streaming down her face.

Shea heard a knock on the door, "Are you ever coming out of there?" Rena asked.

She had to clear her voice before saying, "I'll be out in a few minutes!"

Cal Taylor sat on his bed in Las Vegas, thinking. It had been over a month since any word about the Daybreakers had come. They'd just disappeared, poof, gone without a trace. No, that wasn't right. Carnage from the only battle in an all to short war was still being cleaned up by unsuspecting humans. And now the Night World was encroaching on what was once shared territory with the Daybreakers. Humans were dying every night, and Cal couldn't do a thing to stop it. However, if he and his family didn't get out of the city soon they might become just more statistics anyway. There were only two problems he could think of about getting out of the city.

One: He didn't know where the Daybreakers were.

Two: His parents didn't know about the Night World.

Sooner or later, Cal would have to find a way to tell them about the danger they were in because he felt an almost prophetic urgency to leave the city. But there was still a little time.

He just didn't know how much.

"Order up," Rena looked up from the booth she was sitting in at the discreet little café, '_Of course it's a discreet little café, isn't it always?'_ she thought, sipping a coffee that tasted like three hour old dregs from the bottom of the pot. But where was her contact? She looked down at her watch for about the fifth time in a minute, and time hadn't gone backwards, he was late. 

That could mean two things, either the mass transit of the wonderful city of angels was late, or something of a much darker nature had delayed him. Luckily she didn't have to ponder the darker things because within a minute he walked in. "You're late," she accused when he slid down in the seat across from her. His name was Kit; he'd been a vampire for thirty years, and didn't look a day over fifteen. 

Rena thought he played the part of a disheveled teenager well. His scruffy gray hoodie was accented with torn blue jeans that hadn't seen the inside of a washing machine in too long. When he was changed, he'd still looked like a child somewhere between eleven and thirteen, which put his height at about 5' 3". Freckles dotted his face, he had red hair, and blue eyes, but he claimed to not be a bit Irish. Somehow Rena doubted that. 

"Sorry," Kit replied, though he sounded like a kid, his eyes held depth that she hoped no fifteen year old gained. "It's crazy out there, how are things at your house?" Meaning: have there been any Night World related problems?

"Good, a little cramped, but we manage. So, what the assignment?" That was the only reason Daybreakers could afford to meet with contacts close to the leaders now. And Kit was rumored to be very high up.

He pushed a large sealed manila envelope across the table. "Don't open it here. You know the drill, when you get to your house, read the contents, assemble a team, this is definitely a volunteers only one, get in and out, don't get caught. If you, or any of your team, Goddess forbid, do, you've never met us, and make up a believable lie." Suddenly he smiled, "Did I forget anything in my little spiel?" 

Rena met his eyes with a grin, "Nope, I think that's it." She lifted the envelope; it was kind of heavy. "This is important, isn't it?"

"Maybe," he replied somberly, "But remember, I'm just the messenger, I don't read the message." Rena nodded. Kit stood up, threw a bill on the table to cover her coffee, and left her there with the envelope.

Cal wheezed. He was lucky to be alive after what the Night Worlders had tried. There wasn't enough pain anywhere in his body for anything to be broken, he hoped. Attacks were expected, had to be, they were even planned for. But he hadn't expected to be cornered in the gym locker room. It seemed low somehow, even for the Night World. He was slumped against a bank of lockers in the very back corner, trying to gather the strength to stand up.

When he did he gasped, it was a liquid sound. Being shot hadn't even hurt that much, comparatively. Of course, he had been knocked unconscious nearly instantaneously after those blows. Now, he didn't have that luxury. "Come on," he said to himself, "One foot in front of the other. Just get to the nurses office." Each step felt like thousands of red-hot needles were poking all through his legs. A tear leaked out of his eye. The fragrant scent of stale gym socks wasn't helping his breathing. 

Luckily for him, one of the basketball players, who was for some reason extremely early for practice saw Cal, as he leaned against a bank of lockers, resting after five steps. "Oh, god, Cal, are you all right," he paused, "Stupid question. What happened?"

"I tripped," Cal said, "Then I continued to slam my body against some lockers." Somehow, through his pain, Cal retained a sense of humor, however morbid.

The basketball player, who Cal was sure he knew, helped him off of the locker and supported most of his weight, "Let's get you to the nurse. You look like you could die at any minute." It seemed the jock, too, had a morbid sense of humor.

"Don't go down there, Lukas."

"Skinheads again?" Ben Lukas asked, referring to one of the more prominent gangs at El Camino High School. Being a child of a Mexican woman and a black man, Ben was a perfect target for them. 

"_Sí,_ man," replied Alex Mañoso. "They're beatin' up any _hombre estúpido_ enough to go down there."

Ben rolled his eyes and shook his head. "It's getting so we can't even go to our lockers after school. Can I borrow your English book, dude, I don't want to risk it."

"No prob, here," Alex handed him the requested book. "You waiting for your sister?" There was a very boyish light in his eyes as he asked.

"Don't look like that when you talk about her, bro. She's my _sister_. And she's just a kid."

"You big bad _hombres_ talkin' 'bout me?" Teresa Lukas asked. She was Ben's fifteen-year-old younger sister, and unlike him, was all Mexican. Her dark brown hair fell in loose ringlets around her face. 

"Hey, Teresa, lookin' good, _chica._" Alex said. Ben glared daggers at him.

"Ready to go, _niña_?" Ben asked.

"Don't you gotta get your stuff?"

Ben rolled his eyes, "Skinheads, again." Teresa nodded and said nothing. "You wanna walk wit' us, _amigo_?" 

"Yeah, thanks," Alex replied gratefully. There was a sound back in the hallway, it sounded kind of like a rabid dog, to Alex. Actually, it sounded like a wolf. "You guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Teresa asked.

The next sound was definitely a howl, "That."

All three shared a look. As quickly and silently as they could, they made their way to the bustling L.A. streets, hoping to get lost in the crowd.

The envelope seemed to be starring at her, but Rena wasn't sure she wanted to open it. She and her roommates, her team, hadn't had any important missions, ever. If she opened the envelope things would change. They'd all be bonified Daybreakers, but weren't they already? Things had changes so much already; she wasn't sure she could handle anything drastic. _'You're just scared.'_ She chided herself, _'Open it and get it over with.'_

Inside the envelope there was a file folder, she opened that and saw that it was a file of another member of Circle Daybreak. His name was Cal Taylor, he was sixteen years old, and he and his family were stuck in Las Vegas. Her orders were to assemble a team to rescue the Taylors, and get them into an L. A. safe house. "Easier said than done," she muttered. "Everybody!" she yelled, "Get in the living room, we got something to discuss!"

Minutes later, the ten residents were seated more or less comfortably in the cramped room. "Okay," Rena began, as everyone finished getting settled, "Here's the deal, we were given a mission today. It's search and rescue, emphasis being on the rescue. There's a human in Vegas we're being sent after. He's been a Daybreaker for a while, I guess, and he didn't get out after the initial battle. So, who wants to go?"

Blank looks all around, finally Shea asked, "What's his name?"

"Cal Taylor, I think he went to school with some of you guys." Now certain faces were shocked, "So who's in?"

"I am," Shea said. Her response was followed with similar replies from Jett Dalton, Mackenzie and Raleigh Weald, Timon, and Ramon.

"Seven is a good number," Rena said. She turned to her other housemates, "I guess you guys get to stay and guard or something. Everyone else, get enough weapons to muscle our way to, and to protect, the family. We'll need a van. Timon, will you call headquarters? Arrange for us to pick it up early tomorrow afternoon. We leave at three. Any objections?" No one had anything to say, eventually everyone went back to their own business. Before midnight, everyone, vampires included, was asleep.

_I still remember the sun,_

_Always warm on my back._

_Somehow it seems colder now._


	2. Two: No La Toque

Lexi, you are the absolute coolest person in the world. The song is 'Straight Out of Line' by Godsmack.

Straight out of line  
I can't find a reason why I should justify my ways****

**__**

Kate ducked as her opponent took a swing at her head. She dropped low and checked the younger girl in the stomach. "It I'd had a weapon, you'd be dead, Sarah," Kate rose from her crouch. Sarah tried to retaliate with a crescent kick. Before she knew it, the girl was sprawled on the floor. "You telegraphed that one. On your feet," Kate ordered, "Don't try to hit me." Sarah sulked, her ego deflated, to a chair. She grabbed a bottle of water.

Kate surveyed the room; it was filled with a mish mash group of boys and girls, men and women, humans, vampires, witches and werewolves. And she had been chosen to lead them. "Fighting like that isn't enough anymore. Last month we were almost equal in size to the Night World; now, we've lost almost 2/3, 66%, of our humans. And do you know why?" A few tentative hands rose, "The Night World saw our move. We telegraphed it like Sarah telegraphed that kick. We can't afford to do that again. It's only a matter of time before we're attacked again. We must, _must, be ready." Kate sighed inwardly. "Sarah, Mateo, David, Melody, Petunia, Jim, and Noche, go over to the gun range and start working with the handguns. In an hour or so switch to the rifles and machine guns. Ramero, will you take over in here?" The man nodded, and everyone went to there assigned stations. "Just page me or something if you need me." Ramero nodded. _

Kate walked out of the gym briskly. "Kate!" she heard her soulmate and partner, Tamyn Coldise, call to her. 

"Any news?" she asked. 

"There's been a little progress. And I do mean a little. We've narrowed it down to age group and gender. He's, it's definitely a he, probably between the ages of 17 and 21, but that's only if he isn't a vampire. You know we mature differently than any other race."

"You're telling me. Have the psychics made any progress?"

"Not really," he shrugged, it wasn't nonchalant, "We're stretched so thin. If only we'd known we had a spy, a good spy, in our midst a month ago..."

"We wouldn't be having this conversation. It doesn't matter now, that's the past. What we really need are more fighters. My group, ugh, they...they're trying, and they're...decent...but in a fight--"

"Just being decent will get you killed. They of all people should know that."

She looked away, staring intently at the wall, and said, "I've started them on weapons training. We're focusing mostly on firearms."

"That's not the way of Circle Daybreak." The sentence should have been a reprimand but it wasn't. "But Circle Daybreak needs to change. Where'd you get the idea?"

"Blade, the vampire movie," he looked at her strangely, like it was surprising she watched vampire movies. Even though she was a vampire herself, well mostly anyway. "Emily likes--liked them. She was into that kind of stuff, ironic, isn't it?" Tamyn nodded, smiling. "I have some people working on modifying our ammo, but now we're just working on aim. I figure, even a head shot'll drop a vamp for enough time for them to run."

"Good theory, has it been tested?"

"No," she replied, "I'm just hoping for a lucky break."

"We haven't had enough of those. Do you want to change before the meeting?"

She looked at him strangely, "What meet—Shit!"

"You forgot," he smiled.

"I didn't forget, I…I…I forgot." She looked down at her wrist, and realizing she didn't have a watch on asked, "What time is it now, and when's the meeting?"

"10 o'clock, and you have a half hour."

"Okay, it's in the board room?" He nodded, "I'll be there." Tamyn took her hand and kissed it; Kate turned around and headed for their room. She stripped and went into the shower. After attacking her head with Pantene Pro-V for normal hair and the rest of her body with Zest she stepped out of the box that passed for a shower and grabbed a towel. It was one of the few things she'd salvaged from the mansion, a big pink and yellow fluffy towel that said _'Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always remains strong. Love never ends.'_ A little underneath the Bible quote it said, _'I love you, Mom. Merry Christmas.'_ But Kate purposefully didn't notice that, she didn't have time too. 

A quick search through the room told her that she needed to do the laundry, but eventually she found a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, not something you'd expect a top-ranking agent of Circle Daybreak to wear, but it worked. Her watch said she had exactly one minute to make it on time, she ran the whole way. "I'm sorry I'm late," Kate offered no explanation, and took her seat next to Tamyn. It seemed they were still waiting for more people to arrive.

"Nice clothes," Tamyn muttered to her.

"Shut up," she hit him lightly on the shoulder. 

A few minutes later, everyone was assembled and Thierry entered. He greeted everyone and began to talk. "We have some agents stuck in Brazil. I can't send the plane to Rio de Janeiro to pick them up for obvious reasons." He looked at everyone in the room, "Any ideas?"

"A boat?" Someone asked

"There'd be a record of going through the Panama Canal. The team might get there, but they wouldn't get back."

"A spell?" a witch intoned.

Thierry raised his brows, "Rebeckah?" he asked Kate's mother.

"It's a good idea, but I'm not sure it could be done. There would be a great expenditure of power; not many witches could pull it off."

"Why don't we just forge some passports, send them down, and have our agents fly back on commercial planes?" Kate asked. It wasn't the single fluorescent light that made some of the Daybreakers appear green.

"That's not our way!" One balked. 

"What good has 'our way' brought us? We _still_ have people recovering from the attack on the mansion!"

"And whose fault is that?" he yelled.

"That was out of line!" Tamyn said, coming to his soulmate's defense.

Thierry put a hand up to silence them. "Samuel, let Agent Braxton finish her suggestion."

"Thank you, sir." Kate said, "It's probably the safest, and most cost effective way to get them here. The spell is…iffy, at best. This is an age-old method. It may be illegal, but do you think those agents will care?"

Thierry nodded slowly, still weary of giving his consent.

"May I say something, Thierry?" Rebeckah Braxton asked. Thierry nodded again. "We're trying to protect the human race. Our agents, being as few as they are, need to be kept alive. Circle Daybreak has always prided itself on being able to do the right thing. It's amazing that we haven't faced this problem before; we break Night World laws without even a thought, and this time I think we should do the same for human."

Most of the Daybreakers around the table were nodded, agreeing with Rebeckah Braxton and her logical reasoning. "It's settled then. Dakato," he looked at the witch, "Get on it. You have a contact that can get the forgeries. I want results fast, and I want them to be good." Dakato nodded. "Kate," Thierry turned to her, "How is the training coming along?"

"It's coming," Kate said. "But, if we were to be attacked again, we wouldn't be ready. I don't really think they'll ever be well enough prepared in hand-to-hand combat to be battle ready. I've started to train them using non-traditional methods, namely high-powered guns." She heaved a sigh, "I know Circle Daybreak doesn't condone such weaponry, but we've entered a new age. As long as the Night World has the upper hand I feel we should employ any means necessary to survive."

"I see, Agent Braxton." Thierry paused for a moment, "Are there any objections to training and arming our agents with firearms." No one said anything, "Good. I'll expect a progress report on my desk in a week, Kate." With that huge weight lifted off of her chest Kate nodded. She sat through the rest of the meeting silently contemplating all of the things that were being said.

***

"So," Mr. Bronson, the U.S. History teacher, began, "What years did the Civil War span?" No one raised their hands. "Come on, I promise not to punish you if the answers wrong."

Teresa raised her hand. Mr. Bronson nodded at her, "1861 to 1865."

"Good, and what year was the Emancipation Proclamation issued?" Again, no hands went up. "Guys, the test is tomorrow." Still no one volunteered, "Hmmm, Ben, do you know?"

"1863," he said. 

"And what did it do? Marley?" He asked a girl in the back row.

"Uh…free the slaves?"

Another student raised her hand, "Kara."

"It didn't free the slaves," she said. "Technically it said that slaves were free only in the states that were in rebellion. But in…Kentucky, for example, slaveholders were allowed to keep slaves."

"Exactly, so then, what _was _the purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation?" Ben raised his hand, "Yeah, Ben?"

"It was to keep England and France out of the war, right? Didn't the Union outnumber the Confederacy by like three to one? It would even up the odds if two other countries joined."

"That's right. But then why did the Confederates win most of the battles before Gettysburg? Ray?"

The student he called on seemed to know every detail about history in human existence. "The Union had bad generals whereas the South had Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. The North didn't start to win most of its battles until U. S. Grant took control of the eastern troops."

"Good, now---" the bell rang, "Don't forget to study." Everyone filed en masse out of the room. 

"Ben, wait up!" Teresa called as she exited the class. Her brother stopped, "Alex asked me to ask you…something." She said.

"What?" he sounded annoyed, but he was smiling.

"I don't remember," she let out a laugh. "Knowing Alex it probably wasn't that important."

"Knowing Alex?" Ben roared as they headed to their lockers, "I don't want you 'knowing Alex' he's a dog, Resa." He ruffled her hair.

She swatted at his hand. "I've known Alex just as long as you have. What's the problem?"

"I see the way he looks at you. _Nombre de Dios,_ Resa, he looks at you like he's the big bad wolf and you're a little lamb!"

"Alex?" She asked disbelieving, but intrigued by the idea,

"No," Ben said, "Don't even start thinking about it. It's--"

"_Hola,_" Alex said. "Sup?"

"Oh, nothing much," Teresa said, "Ben's just making a total ass of himself." She opened her locker and stuffed her history book inside. "You're a junior, you can take me off campus for lunch. I feel like eating some _real_ food." She smiled back at Ben, daring him to say something.

"Yeah, cool," Alex replied, "Ben, you game? How about Pink's?"

"You _loco_, man? All those tourists crowd there now." Ben retorted.

"What about _El Lavabo_, you know, that café on McKinley Ave.?"

"If we're going to make it, we have to go now, you guys," Teresa said. "Come on."

***

"Watch where you're going!" Rena said as she was jostled from behind at the café.

"Sorry," the black teenager, he couldn't have been older than 18, responded.

"Whatever." Rena turned towards the counter where the person behind the register looked at her expectantly, "Three Cokes, three Sprites, a Diet, three turkey sandwiches on white, and two on rye."

"That'll be $33.68," the disgruntled employee muttered, barely audible. Rena handed her $35. " $1.32 is you're change. Please step down to pick up your food." She gave Rena a bubbly, fake smile.

As Rena waited for her food, she caught herself sneaking glances at the boy next to her. He was kind of cute, in a totally not her type, R&B star type of way. His hair was cut short; it probably wouldn't even feel like stubble if she rubbed her hands against it. Even though he was wearing a long sleeved shirt, she could tell his muscles were well defined. "Your foods ready," he said.

"What?" Rena answered, dazed.

"Your food," he pointed.

"Oh, yeah," she shook her head and smiled up at him, "I'm such a spaz today." 

"Don't worry about it," he said smoothly, "A lot of girls are awed by my presence." 

Rena laughed. "I'm sure," her tone was disbelieving.

"Oh my god," Teresa leaned over and whispered to Alex. "Ben is actually _flirting_ with someone he doesn't know. Have you ever seen him do that?"

"Well," Alex said, "Who wouldn't want to flirt with a hottie like that?" Teresa hit him on the shoulder. "Hey," he put his arm around her shoulders, "I promise I won't flirt with her, besides I'm with you, _Chiquita,_ I don't need any other girl."

Ben turned around to look at his companions. "Alex, _no la toque!_" Alex and Teresa ignored him. He turned back to the girl. "I'm Ben Lukas," he would have offered to shake hands but she was carrying two bags, one with the sandwiches and another with the pop bottles.

"Rena," she replied shortly. Glancing down at her watch she said, "It's been nice meeting you, Ben Lukas, hope I see you around." She walked away quickly.

"Bye, Rena no-last-name," he uttered softly.

_'What were you thinking?'_ Rena asked herself as she walked back to the house. _'He could have been anyone, and you have a boyfriend, you idiot. Just don't think about it. It was nothing.'_ She continued walking briskly; she couldn't get the boy out of her head. _'He's *_human*_, Rena. And he's probably already forgotten about you. Just focus on the mission.'_ Once she arrived at the house, she put the food on the table and yelled, "Foods here!" 

When they were done eating Rena pulled Timon aside, "Did you get the van?" He nodded. "Okay," she said, "Let's start loading up." Within two hours the van was packed with weapons and a decent communication system. "Does anyone actually know how to use this?" Rena asked.

"They told me how," Timon started, "It mostly depends on us using these walkie-talkies. Supposedly it only _looks_ complicated. I think I'll go with the old press the on button approach." He pressed a green button on the far side of the sound board. "Now, talk into you're walkie-talkie."

Rena pressed the button that allowed her to communicate, "Hello?" Her voice came out through the speakers in the car. "Good," she said after she turned the device off. "Are we ready?" 

After receiving an affirmative from everyone she proclaimed, "Load up." She pulled Shea over to the side, "Can you drive?" She asked. "I don't actually have my license. And I figure you know the way to their house best." Shea nodded. "Right. Let's go."

Four hours later, they pulled in front of a one-story ranch that was being devoured by flames. "Oh no," Mackenzie said, "We're too late."

"No, let's check it out," this was from Ramon. "Maybe they got out."

"He's right, kill the engine," Rena agreed, "Shea, Jett, Raleigh, and Timon, go and check it out. Ramon, climb into the driver's seat, if something goes wrong," she addressed to the four being sent out, "Run like hell back here, Ramon, if you see them running, start the engine. Do not hesitate to use the walkie-talkies."

"Alright," from Shea.

"Go."

Shea and the others exited the van; they split up in groups of two. Timon and she were paired, as where Jett and Raleigh. "There's a place in the backyard where they might have gone," she told her partner as they walked into the darkness. "Cal said it was his hidey-hole in case they ever got attacked."

"Let's check it out." They walked around the house, ever mindful of the flames, to the yard.

"It's right around here. Cal!" Her call was soft, but it carried.

"Shea?" they both heard the reply.

"Come out, Cal, we're here to get you and your family out of Las Vegas." They could already see the shadowy outline of him and his family. When he was right in front of her, she threw her arms around him and said, "I missed you, you idiot. Don't let it happen again."

"Aw, Shea, you know you love me."

She hit him lightly. "Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, I'm Shea, one of Cal's friends, and this is Timon, this is going to sound strange but, we need to get you out of the city. Please don't ask questions now."

"I don't understand," said Mrs. Taylor. "What's going on?"

"We'll explain later," Timon reiterated, "Please, come with us." He spoke into his walkie-talkie, "We have recovery."

A staticy voice replied, "This isn't the military, Timon. You don't have to sound so official."

"There's a van waiting for us in front of the house, it's waiting to take us back to L.A. Our organization has a number of houses there." Shea tried to sound like an adult. "Please, I can't promise that this will make sense to you later, but we do have good reason to get you out of the city."

They looked at her expectantly. 

"Do you remember when Cal was shot last month?"

"Shea, no," Cal protested.

"How could we forget?" Mr. Taylor asked.

"Mr. Taylor, our enemies shot Cal because he got in the way. We now believe that they will target you and your family until you all are dead. Do you understand me?" He nodded. "If you come with us, I will promise you that our organization will protect you to the best of our ability. But we won't force you."

"What is this organization?" asked Mrs. Taylor.

"It's called Circle Daybreak, Mom. I've been a member since I was fourteen. I know these people; they're telling the truth. Please, can we just go?"

"How do we know this isn't some prank?" It seemed illogical, but Mrs. Taylor inquired anyway.

"It would be a little extreme, don't you think, Mrs. Taylor," said Timon, "for us to burn down your house as a prank."

"He's right, Cheryl." Mr. Taylor agreed.

"Frank."

"No, Cheryl, I think we should go." They looked at each other, having a conversation with their eyes that only people who have known each other for a long time can.

"Alright," Cheryl Taylor conceded. "But I expect a really good explanation."

"You'll get one, Mrs. Taylor."

They walked back to where the non-descript gray van waited and climbed in. Cheryl threw her hands up and didn't ask questions. Frank greeted each of the team and went to sit in back with his wife. "Kenzie?" Shea asked before they left, "Will you drive? I want to catch up with Cal."

"No prob, Petunia," the witch responded. 

Once everyone was settled Mackenzie put the van in gear and drove all nine people and herself back to L.A. "Next time we get attacked," Shea told Cal after they sat down, "You are not fighting. And if we have to run again, you are coming with us."

"Shut up, Petunia," he murmured with his eyes closed. 

Shea laid her head on his shoulder. "I don't know what I would have done if we couldn't find you, you stupid human. I really don't."

"Well you did, now, really, shut up, I'm tired."

"You shut up," she replied childishly.

"No, you."

"No, you."

"No, you."

"Why don't both of you shut up," Ramon suggested from his seat in front of them, on the left of Rena.

Shea and Cal stuck their tongues out in unison at the back of his head, then they collapsed into fits giggles. For one moment in a horrendous month, they both had a sense of normalcy.

Straight out of line  
I don't need a reason, you don't need to lie to me

Now that you've read it, review it. It's the right thing to do.


	3. Three: Two Too Many

Thanks, for the review, Lexi. The song is 'Forgotten' by Linkin Park. Please, please, please, please, please review.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
A small spot of light floods the floor  
  
And pours over the rusted world of pretend  
  
And the eyes ease open  
  
And its dark again  
  
Rena stared out the window, lost in thought. She felt Ramon grab her hand, "Penny for your thoughts?" he asked.  
  
"It's nothing," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder, "Just drifting."  
  
She felt him nod, "I have a bad feeling," he said.  
  
"You think we made it out too easy," it wasn't a question.  
  
"Yes," he nodded, "If the Night World really wanted the Taylors in Las Vegas, then we should have had to put up more of a fight."  
  
"You sure seem to know a lot about this so called Night World," Mrs. Taylor accused.  
  
Ramon turned to her, "It's just common sense, lady. We were sent here to get Cal back, that means the Night World probably wanted him, but we just found you all hiding in the back yard. That doesn't make much sense to me."  
  
"I still think this is some sick joke!" said Cheryl Taylor.  
  
"I don't ca-"  
  
"Hey, guys," Mackenzie said from the drivers seat, "I think someone's following us."  
  
Ramon slammed his head back against his seat, "Shit!" he said, "Shit, shit, shit, I knew it!"  
  
Mrs. Taylor was taken aback, "Excuse me?" She was ignored.  
  
"Raleigh, Jett," Shea said, "Grab some guns, don't shoot unless we're shot at, but be ready." They nodded. "Mackenzie," she called to the front, "Try and lose them. Everyone else, grab on, this is going to be one hell of a ride."  
  
"This might be a bad time to say this," Mackenzie said, "But I've never been in a high speed car chase before."  
  
"I think it's time you learn," Ramon was harsh.  
  
She swerved into the right lane and accelerated. The car behind them copied. Mackenzie kept swerving in and out of lanes and the pursuer kept doing the same. A few minutes later, the highway turned into a two-lane road. "Shit!" Mackenzie muttered. She accelerated even more and said, "Brace yourselves. Raleigh, put some kind of shield around the car." She looked back, meeting her sisters eye, "Trust me." Raleigh nodded. She closed her eyes and started to murmur a spell. Mackenzie slammed on the brakes.  
  
They all fell forward as the car slammed into the bumper. Someone hissed. She threw the car into reverse and was satisfied to hear the crunch of metal. Switching gears once again, the tires squealed as she sped off towards L.A.  
  
***  
  
"You're kidding! A car chase, no way, bro."  
  
"Yeah," said Ben, "The police were chasing this bad Porsche down on Wilshire. Dunno why though."  
  
"Probably some drug dealer," his sister replied. "They're always driving those flashy cars. It's just asking the cops to chase them if you ask me."  
  
"I didn't ask you, sis. Have you studied for history yet?"  
  
" 'Course not, you're the one who needs to study in that class, dumbass." She smiled and stood up.  
  
"Did you just call me what I think you just called me?" He asked, rising.  
  
"Uh." she stepped back behind a table, "What? Would I call you anything?"  
  
He moved closer to her, "Oh, I think you---" The phone rang. "Hello?"  
  
"Benjamin, hello." The woman's voice had a heavy Mexican accent.  
  
"Oh, Mom, hi, what do you need?"  
  
"I need you and Theresa to come and pick me up at the restaurant."  
  
"Huh?" He asked, "You need both of us to come?"  
  
"She's so young, and that apartment is dangerous. Please, just come and pick me up." She sounded frustrated.  
  
"Fine, we'll be there in a few."  
  
"Goodbye."  
  
He hung up and looked at Theresa, "Come on, we get to go pick up mom."  
  
"I don't want to go." Theresa crossed her arms.  
  
"Too bad, Mom said you're coming."  
  
"Ugh, Benji, don't make me gooo," she pouted.  
  
"Come on." They left the apartment for the garage under the building. It was a little darker than usual. Theresa seemed scared.  
  
"Ben, something's wrong here."  
  
He shrugged, "You're just overreacting." The car, an olive green model from the mid 1970's, was in one of the darker corners of complex.  
  
"I'm serious, hermano," she looked around quickly, "Something's wrong here." Theresa walked a little faster.  
  
"Stop panicking, Resa, you've never liked it down here." Ben quickened his pace to catch up with her. "I wonder why Mom didn't want to take the bus home."  
  
"Did you hear that?"  
  
"Theresa."  
  
"I'm serious!" She said in a panicked whisper. "There it was again."  
  
"Stop playing," inadvertently they had both stopped moving.  
  
"Shh!"  
  
"What the." a faint female voice said, "Ohmigod!" she screamed.  
  
Ben looked like he might run to help the girl. "Are you loco, Ben? That girl is probably down there with some pimp or dealer. He might have a gun!"  
  
"But she might not," he insisted.  
  
"¡Estúpido! What other kind of trouble could she-"  
  
"Help! Help! ¡Ayudáme! ¡Ayudáme!"  
  
Ben started running. Theresa watched him go. After a few seconds, she set off after him, muttering, "She's not some helpless damsel, dumbass."  
  
"Get away from her!" Ben yelled, coming to the rescue. He didn't expect the sight he saw. Instead of the girl's attacker pointing a gun at her, or holding a knife, he had both of his hands on her shoulders, and he was nuzzling her neck. The girl's eyes were streaming and she was whispering, "Madre de Dios," as a mantra.  
  
Before he knew it, someone pushed him to the side. Ben saw the man advance. "Snap!" A female voice yelled, "Ignore him, he's human." The man turned away.  
  
Theresa rushed to Ben's side. "That's Ana, from 2D!"  
  
"I'm aware of that, sis." When the new girl yelled, Ana's attacker's head snapped up. He threw Ana to one side. There was an ominous thunk. Ben and Theresa moved to Ana's side.  
  
Theresa checked her pulse, "She's alive, but her pulse is really weak."  
  
"Probably the blood loss," neither of them questioned why blood was spurting from her neck. "I think one of her arteries was pierced."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"That's the only way I can explain why the blood is bursting out that way. We need to stop the bleeding, or she'll die in minutes."  
  
Theresa looked at him blankly, "How?"  
  
"Apply pressure," He put his hands over the bite. Blood still flowed down the side of her neck.  
  
"Didn't that chick in that one movie put her fingers in the wound to stop the bleeding when that guy got hit by shrapnel?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"In, um.Pearl Harbor! When they get bombed."  
  
Someone pushed Ben out of the way again; this time it was a girl, a strong girl. "Will she turn?" One of the others asked.  
  
The girl checked Ana's pulse. "No, she's still alive, for now." She turned to Ben and Theresa, "When was she bit?" She demanded.  
  
"What?" asked Theresa, "What bit her?"  
  
"A minute ago," Ben answered, "Maybe two. Right before you got here."  
  
She nodded. Turning to one of her cronies she snapped, "Jest, slow that bleeding!" She faced the two siblings again, "Nothing happened here. You saw nothing, if anyone asks you. Got it?"  
  
"But what about--" Ben started to ask.  
  
The girl cut him off, "Nothing happened. Do you understand that, or do I have to make you understand that?"  
  
Theresa grabbed his arm, "Come on, Ben, we need to get Mom."  
  
"Do run along now."  
  
"What about Ana?" He asked.  
  
"We'll drop the girl off at the Emergency Room, okay?" Ben nodded.  
  
***  
  
Mackenzie parked the van about three blocks away from the old brick apartment building that was now Circle Daybreak HQ. "Welcome to the City of Angels," said Jett, "Home to numerous gangs, and a growing murder rate."  
  
"Jett!" said Raleigh. She turned to the Taylors, "It's not really that bad."  
  
"We're about three blocks from HQ," said Mackenzie. "Let's go." Walking quickly, but cautiously, the group took almost ten minutes to get to the building.  
  
A guard behind a desk at the entrance stopped them. "Name?" he asked.  
  
Rena stepped to the front of the group, "Rena Hedwynn," she said.  
  
He typed something in and looked up. "Okay," he said. "Go to the third level and wait in the conference room. Rena nodded.  
  
They went to the elevator, and once everyone was in, Cal pressed the button for the third floor. When the bell dinged to announce their floor, they got out and went to the only conference room on the level. Kate Braxton and Tamyn Coldise were waiting for them. Rena went up and hugged Kate, "I've missed you, Kate," she said softly.  
  
Kate smiled. She turned to the rest of the group, surveying them. Nodding she said, "Good job. Were there any difficulties?"  
  
"Nothing we couldn't handle," Shea answered.  
  
Kate nodded again, "Everyone but the Taylors is free to go. Rena, your mother would like to see you; she's in the room number 3E."  
  
"Okay," Rena said.  
  
Everyone left. Rena went to the room Kate said her mom was in. She opened the unlocked door. Sure enough she was sitting on a couch waiting. "Hey, Mom," she said.  
  
Her mother turned around, "Rena!" She stood up and crossed the room, embracing her daughter she said, "I've missed you."  
  
"Me, too."  
  
"Come sit down, have some tea." Jace Hedwynn sat down again, and poured herself a cup of tea from a little teapot.  
  
Rena grimaced, "I didn't like tea yesterday, I don't like it today; and I won't like it tomorrow, Mom." Her mother laughed.  
  
"So how have things been with you?"  
  
Rena rolled her eyes, "You know, we're getting by. I think having so many people in one house works better in the Real World."  
  
"You could always stay with your father and I," Jace suggested.  
  
"I don't think so," she looked around the room, "It's a pretty small apartment."  
  
"It was just a suggestion." She paused for a moment, "How are you holding up?" she asked softly.  
  
"I'm okay," Rena was stiff. "I just.I miss her, you know? We were best friends forever, and now she's gone. And." A tear slid down Rena's cheek, "She was a.a.sister to m.me, and.she's.dea.dead now." Her mother enveloped her.  
  
"There, there, baby, it'll be okay." Rena continued to son onto her mother's shoulder, wishing things were different.  
  
***  
  
Kase Jackson waited outside the rundown building. His team should have been out five minutes ago, "What's your status?" he asked into his walkie- talkie.  
  
"We need two more minutes," his team member, Hawk Nesbit, replied.  
  
"Hurry, man, I've got a bad feeling." There was no response. Kase waited the additional time. After three minutes, no one radioed back. He left his look out spot and walked toward the warehouse where his team was.  
  
A girl came running out. "Run, man," said the third member of his team, Darcy Turner. Kase ran. "They got Hawk," she said. "Came up right behind us and snapped his neck. I hightailed it out of there."  
  
A door slammed behind them, "Shit! They're behind us," said Kase.  
  
"No matter what happens," Darcy said, "Get out, do not stop for me."  
  
"Same goes here." She nodded.  
  
They ran for another minute or so, Darcy could see that Kase was getting winded. "We're almost to the car," she said, "Come on, Kase, we can both make it."  
  
He lost his footing and fell flat on his face; Darcy paused. A mini-arrow from a crossbow came sailing their way. The Nightworlders were almost on them, "Go, Darc," he said. She didn't have to be told twice. Kase screamed when the enemy grabbed him. She sped up and made it to the car. The door was unlocked and the extra set of keys was in the glove compartment. A Nightworlder tried to open the car right was she started it. Speeding off into the night she cried for her lost partners.  
  
Darcy parked in front of the Daybreak building and ran inside. The guard asked her, "Name?"  
  
"Darcy Turner," she said wiping her eyes.  
  
"What's your business here?"  
  
"My team was just captured and killed."  
  
"Level three," he said. She got into the elevator.  
  
When she got out a woman was waiting for her, "I'm Rebeckah Braxton," she said, "Please come with me, Miss Turner." Darcy followed her. She was led to Thierry Descouedres's office. "He'll be right with you."  
  
Darcy took a seat and waited. A few minutes later a man who looked no older than eighteen walked in. "Hello, Miss Turner."  
  
"It's just Darcy," she said, "Sir."  
  
"Darcy," he corrected. "What happened?"  
  
"We went in on a minor surveillance mission. My team has been watching a building that seems to house a lot of Night World activity for a couple weeks. Tonight it seemed deserted, so we decided to go in and try and get some intel on them. We were sure that no one was there. One of my team members, a shapeshifter, Hawk Nesbit, and I went in. The human in our team, Kase Jackson, stayed out on guard duty. We made it in fine, and got some information, but then some vamps snuck up behind us. One of them snapped Hawk's neck, and I distracted them by throwing a file tray in the other direction, and I got away.  
  
"Kase was at the door, trying investigate, I guess, when I ran out. Our car was almost a mile away, and we started running. We were almost to the car and he tripped. I tried to get him, but the Nightworlders were almost on us, and he told me to go. So I went to the car and drove here. I wasn't followed."  
  
"You're sure?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
Thierry nodded. "I'll have a room set up for you. In the morning, I'll want to discuss the information you found."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"You're dismissed."  
  
"Thank you, sir." When the young lamia left, Thierry sighed. Two more members killed. It didn't look good for Daybreak. But it hadn't looked good for over a month. What were two more casualties?  
  
Two too many.  
  
A little piece of paper with a picture drawn Floats on down the street Till the wind is gone The memory now is like the picture was then  
  
When the papers crumpled up It can't be perfect again  
  
Please, please, please, please, please review. 


	4. Four: Grit and Glam

Thanks so so so much to Lex and Keri for reviewing, I worship you. Please review. The song is 'Feels Way Too Damn Good' by Nickelback.

****

**Chapter 4**

Now that you're here I just feel like I'm constantly dreaming  
Well something's gotta go wrong 'cause I'm feelin' way too damn good

Shea looked out at the ocean all around her. The beach was completely empty, and the waves broke on the shore violently. The sky was gloomy gray. Some one wrapped their arms around her; she closed her eyes. "You're not really here," she whispered.

"Are either of us really here?" Ryder asked her.

Shea turned around and took a step back, "You're dead, Ryder. You died a month ago"

"It's not so bad really," he said, "Lonely, though."

"You know you're dead? You're not just a figment of my imagination?"

"Here in the hypothetical flesh."

Shea's response was unexpected, "What are you doing here? Damnit, Ryder, you're screwing up my life!"

"You think I don't know that? I won't lie and say that I didn't want to see you, but that's not the reason I'm here." He looked her straight in the eye, "I need to warn you."

Shea crossed her arms, "Doesn't this sound familiar?"

"Things aren't right on your plane of existence."

"No shit, really?"

"Will you can the sarcasm for just one minutes, hon?"

"Fine."

"Something happened that shouldn't have, I don't know what, and…whoever handles these things is trying to fix it."

"And…?"

"If Circle Daybreak is destroyed before things are fixed, the powers that be, or whatever, don't know if things can be fixed."

"Huh?"

"I'm just the messenger, I don't need to understand the message."

She crossed her arms and turned around to face the turbulent water, "That's stupid."

"Oh," he said, remembering something, "Emily Braxton's the key. She can fix this."

"She's dead." Shea turned around, but Ryder was already gone.

Rena opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a moment. She couldn't remember where she was, then it hit her, she was in the Daybreak house she'd been living in for the past month. The shower was running. Tiegra and the twins were still lumps under their comforters, so it had to be Shea. She rolled out of her bed and threw a sweatshirt on over her spaghetti strap top.

"You're up late," Timon said when she entered the kitchen. She growled at him and looked at the coffee mug in his hand. He held it possessively close to his body. Rena rolled her eyes and poured herself a mug full with a healthy dose of cream and sugar. "Would you like a little coffee with your sugar?" Timon asked.

Rena growled again.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the den this morning." 

Ramon walked in and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Good morning," he said.

"Little wolf there," Timon said, "Isn't in a good mood this morning."

"Is she ever?" Ramon asked.

"Quit talking about me like I'm not here," Rena mumbled. A few minutes later, Shea walked out of the girls' room fully clothed. She walked through the kitchen and out the door without saying a word to anyone, seemingly lost in thought. "What's her problem?" Rena asked. Ramon and Timon shrugged.

Timon checked his watch, "I've got places to be," he said, "See ya'll later." Rena and Ramon waved.

After Timon closed the door Ramon said, "I've got some places to go today. Want to come with me?"

"Sure," Rena replied.

Ramon looked at the clock on the oven. "We'll leave around noon."

"Cool."

***

Shea started running the moment the door to the house closed behind her. There was a bus stop about a mile from the house; she went there. A few miles out of Los Angeles there was a beautiful old Spanish cemetery that Shea had admired since she had first seen it. The bus scheduled to arrive at 10:08 wouldn't take her directly there, but it would be close enough to walk when she got off. No one stared at her as she boarded the bus. It seemed that no one stared at anyone in LA, and the only people one was allowed to talk to had to be connected to a wireless plan. With rollover minutes.

Fifteen terrifying minutes later the bus that had been doing eighty down the expressway came to a screeching halt so it could exit. When it stopped, Shea got off. It was almost a three-mile walk to the cemetery, but that was nothing to a vampire with almost unlimited reservoirs of energy. 

All of the tombstones, dating back into the early 1800's were evenly spaced over about a quarter square mile. Shea sat down on a metal bench when she entered. A few people were sitting, or crouching, in front of gravestones. No one was near her. However, a few moments later, an elderly man sat down next to her.

"My family's already gone to the grave," he explained, "But I need to sit down every so often. It's this damn arthritis, and my bum hip."

"What?" asked Shea.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the man said. He put out his hand, "I'm Earl. My wife's, God rest her soul, sister, Emma, died a few days ago, broke her hip. We're burying her today, right over there," he pointed to a funeral procession several feet away. "Seems everyone I know is dying these days."

"I know the feeling," Shea muttered.

"You do, don't you? I can see it in your eyes. It's a pity really, all of that pain in one so young as you. Where is he buried?"

"What makes you think it's a he?" she crossed her arms.

"When I lost my Molly, what? Twenty, twenty five years ago, I had that very same look here," he pointed at his eyes. "You don't have that look in your eyes when you lose a friend."

"Still," she insisted, "I could be a lesbian."

Earl gave a hoot of laughter, "Okay, so where is she buried?"

Shea rolled her eyes, "It's a he, and he's not."

"I don't understand."

"He was killed about a month ago, but the house we were in caught fire and collapsed. His body was never recovered."

"You blame yourself."

"No I don't. It couldn't have been stopped by me."

"Just because you say it doesn't mean you believe it. When my Molly died I blamed myself for almost a decade."

"What happened?"

"Cancer."

"Then why did you blame yourself? She was sick, not killed."

"You're eyes may be old, girlie," he shook his head, "But it seems the rest of you is still very young. You loved him, he was your first, right?"

"I'm seventeen years old, of course he wasn't my first. There were at least three guys before him," she tilted her chin up.

Earl gave another hoot, "You're a riot, kid. I wasn't talking about…that. You're first love, not boink."

Shea's eyes widened, she coughed, "Yeah," she muttered, "I guess."

"It shattered me to loose Molly, and we knew it was coming, but still that day, June 22nd, I remember it like it was yesterday, I cried, and cried, and cried." He dabbed his eyes, "Well there I go." He smiled a watery smile. "The bottom line is that no one is ever ready to let go of anyone they love. Don't let it eat at you like I did, you have a very long life ahead of you."

A woman in church clothes walked up to their bench, "Dad! Everyone has been looking for you, come on."

"It's been nice talking to you, girl. Remember what I said." He stood up stiffly.

As he walked away, Shea whispered, "I will, Earl, I will."

***

"Hurry up, Rena," said Ramon checking his watch, "We need to leave now."

Rena walked out of the girl's room, "Do I look dazzling?" she asked.

"You look fine, come on." He grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the door.

"Let me at least put on my shoes."

"Just hurry up."

She rolled her eyes, "You said that already. What's the rush, anyway?"

" I want to beat the lunch crowd."

"You're taking me to lunch?"

"Yeah, now come on."

They boarded a bus and headed for the city. The hard plastic of the seat was uncomfortable and Rena kept fidgeting. "Where are we going?" Rena asked as the bus drove past an exit on the freeway that would take them to where most of the affordable, but good, food places were in downtown.

"Hollywood."

"Fun," she kept staring out the window. They didn't go into any part of Hollywood she knew, or that she cared to know. It was dingy. There were homeless people on the streets; some were begging for money, others were too drunk or high to do anything. I thought Hollywood was supposed to be glamorous, she thought. Right next-door to an 'Adult' shop she saw all kinds of wigs and make up in a window. Grit and Glam, that's it. 

Ramon touched her arm. "Come on, this is our stop." Rena stood up. As the walked to the door the metal floor creaked under them. They got off and walked a few blocks. "This is it," said Ramon.

It was a Mexican restaurant called Carcomido. "You sure they serve food in there?" Rena asked.

"Looks can be deceiving." He said.

Rena narrowed her eyes, "Whenever someone says that things are usually worse than they seem."

Ramon shrugged. "An informant of mine works here."

"An informant?"

"Yes, but when we go in there act like you don't know. He might try to run if he knows I brought another Daybreaker."

"Okay," she gave the restaurant another wary glance. "I always said I'd try anything once," she muttered.

Ramon laughed and gave her a strange look.

"What?"

"You're amazing," he said almost whispering.

"Of course, that's why you love me."

"Yeah," he said, "Yeah, I do."

Rena beamed. "Let's go in there before I lose my nerve." Ramon put his arm around her shoulders and they walked the stained brownish yellow door. It was even worse than Rena imagined. As they walked to their table it was an effort pick up their feet. "When was the last time they mopped this floor?"

"You don't want to know, hon." 

When they got to their booth Rena looked at the ripped red vinyl, "That better be white out on the seat," she said.

"Why don't you just sit next to me?"

"Yeah, I like that idea." Rena sat down on the other side of the booth.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," said Ramon, "Felipe should have his break soon. Just order me a soda or something else non-toxic." He turned toward the kitchen, but quickly turned back around, "I wouldn't suggest ordering any food." 

As he fled to the back, Rena stared after him in disbelief. After almost ten minutes of waiting a waitress came to the table for her drink order. "What do you want to drink?"

"Two cokes."

"Fine." The girl walked off with the order. 

"They still haven't figured out who he is?" Rena heard a woman's voice say.

"Of course not, he is the best, I should know." Said another woman. They must have been sitting in a booth near her.

"You would, Corvina. Didn't you train him?"

"Yes, Gen, I did."

"What was his name again, I haven't seen the boy in so long."

"You know it's ---"

"Here's your drinks," said the waitress. "Do you want food?"

"I'll wait for my boyfriend to get back," Rena smiled politely.

The waitress made a face and walked away.

A few minutes later Ramon came back. "Miss me?" He sat down next to her.

"Always, dearest." She looked around. "Can we get out of here? The stench is getting to me?"

"You get used to it after a while," Rena hit him on the arm, "Ow," he said. "I've got an idea, come on." He threw some bills down on the table and pulled her out the door. They walked to the bus stop hand in hand.

After almost twenty minutes, Rena asked, "Are we ever going to get off this bus?"

"Be patient, it's just a few more stops away." It was almost twenty minutes later when Ramon stood up, "Come on," he said. "We're as close as we'll get by vehicle."

"I don't think I like the sound of this."

Ramon looked her in the eye, "Trust me," he smiled.

"I do. Where are we going?"

"Follow me." They walked for a mile or so until they were almost in the desert. Ramon turned so he was standing right in front of Rena, "Run with me?" he asked.

Rena nodded. Almost immediately they shifted, Ramon into a gray wolf, and Rena into a black one with a white spot in the middle of her eyes. Ramon bounded off; Rena chased after him feeling better than she had in a long time leaving behind human emotion.

***

Where is it? Tiegra kept asking herself. "I know I saved that book." She muttered. "Ramon's room!" it came out of nowhere. But it had to be in there. She walked into the boys' room, and started to look around. She ruffled through a pile of papers and cut her finger. Hissing she picked up the sheet and promptly dropped it. "No," she said, more trying to convincer herself she hadn't seen it than out of disbelief. She picked it up again, "Oh, how could you?" she asked.

And it's like every time I turn around  
I fall in love and find my heart face down  
And where it lands is where it should  
This time it's like the two of us should probably start to fight  
'Cause something's gotta go wrong 'cause I'm feelin' way too damn good

Now, please review.


	5. Five: He Was Lying

No reviews, I'm sad. Here's the not so much awaited chapter 5. The song is 'Bullet Proof' by the Goo Goo Dolls.

She wants to shake this scene   
Yeah she wants to shake with me   
She's not looking for the holes in all the lies

"I just don't understand it," said Rena.

"What?" Ramon asked.

"How do they come up with the names for the Crayola crayons? I mean, they call it Purple Mountains Majesty, when I would just call it purple-ish. You know?"

"That was one of the most random things I've ever heard." He unlocked the front door and they walked in. Tiegra was just coming out of the boys' room. She glared at the couple and said nothing.

After she went into the girls' room, Rena said, "That seems to be happening a lot today."

"What?"

"People storming off, or around." She shrugged. "I don't know. Do you think we're missing something?"

"Probably not, everyone in this house is weird." He paused, "Except you, hon."

"Yeah, sure."

"Hey, Rena," Tiegra called from the girl's room, "Will you come in here?"

"I'll be right there." She looked up at Ramon and shrugged, "Wonder what she wants?"

"Go and see, I've had enough of you today!" He smiled.

"Hey!" She hit him on the arm. He hit back. "Ow, I've got to go in there."

"Yeah, yeah, see you later."

"I should hope so." She turned toward the room and walked in. Tiegra was sitting on her bed; her head was in her hands. "Are you okay?"

Tiegra looked up, there were streaks down her cheeks. "Do I look okay, Rena?"

"No."

"You're observant."

"Are you just going to snip at me the entire time I'm here? You called me in here. For what, to be your punching bag?" She crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry. There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to. I want you to stay away from Ramon."

Rena laughed, "What?"

"You heard me, I want you to stay away from Ramon."

"You're joking." Tiegra's face was utterly serious. Rena sobered, "Why?"

"He's dangerous."

"Dangerous? I've known him for more than a month and the meanest thing he's done is eat a burger. If he really was dangerous I'm sure I could have figured it out by now."

"No, you couldn't have, you're in love with him."

"No, I'm not."

Ramon walked into his room. He looked at the table and noticed that the papers were scattered everywhere. Piling them back into order, he picked up a sheet from the floor:

**Destroy After Reading!**

Find out all that you can about the Daybreakers. Report back weekly. Cover all of your tracks. If you are discovered report directly to your trainer. Give no information under any circumstances.

**Burn this document!**

"Shit!" Ramon whirled around, tearing the paper in half as he did, "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

Timon almost ran into him as he entered the room, "What's up, man?"

Ramon took a deep breath, "Nothing," he said, "I just remembered something I was supposed to do."

"Must have been something important."

"Yeah, it was." He walked out of the room.

"I'm going to go over there again," said Teresa.

"You've been there four times in the past hour, Ana wasn't there ten minutes ago; she won't be there now." Ben replied.

"I have to check. What if she's…what if those people didn't take her to the hospital? She might be dead."

Ben put his head in his hand; his elbow was resting on the couch. "If she is there's nothing we can do. Just forget about it."

"Ben! She's our friend!"

"And do you think that thing that almost killed her cares? What if there's another one out there?"

"It's been over a day, if something like it was waiting, it probably left."

"I don't want you to go." He stood up, "It's not safe."

Teresa rolled her eyes, "Well, duh, this is LA, of course it isn't safe." She slipped on her shoes and turned to the door. "I'm going. I'll be back later."

Ben didn't even register what she said until after the door slammed.

Teresa trailed a hand on the graffiti stained wall as she walked to the staircase. When she opened the door to the stairwell, the smell of blood overwhelmed her. She saw a pale hand on the landing between floors.

Teresa froze.

Something pushed her from behind; as she stumbled she heard the door click shut. "Where's Hector?" The vampire asked. She was almost as pale as the disembodied hand on the landing, and her canine teeth were an inch long. Teresa stopped breathing. "Where's Hector?"

"Wh-…Who's Hector?"

The vampire slapped her, "You know damn well, bitch. Tell me where he is!" If Teresa hadn't known that vampires were soulless, emotionless creatures, she would have said that the vampire was worried.

"I…I really don't know who you're talking about. What does he look like?"

"Don't be smart, he's the male version of me. Hector Vega."

"Hector!" said Teresa, recognizing the name. "I haven't seen him since school on Friday." Hector couldn't be a vampire. Teresa used to have a crush on him when they were in fifth grade. He sometimes let her copy his Geometry homework. Teresa whispered it, but the vampire heard, "He can't be a vampire."

"He is, now where is he?"

"I told you, I haven't seen him since Friday!" The smell was only getting worse as the heat increased in the stairwell. Teresa gagged.

"I'm going to kill you anyway, so you might as well tell me. I just want to find my brother."

"You're supposed to tell me you'll let me go if I tell you, that's how it works. Haven't you watched any type of interrogation?"

"It's against the rules," the girl muttered. "I would if I could, but I can't so I won't. Okay?"

"Did that hand refuse to talk too?"

"I didn't kill that person. I only got here a second before you." The vampire was right in front of the door; the stairs were right behind Teresa. If she tried, she might be able to run, but she didn't know if vampires had super speed. The door slammed into the vampire, and the vampire stumbled into Teresa, acting on instinct, she rolled her shoulder so the vampire fell down the stairs.

The vampire didn't fall far.

Ben was standing in the door. "Umph," he said. "Ugh, what's that smell?" Teresa pushed him into the hall and slammed the door to the stairwell.

"Get in the apartment," she ordered. "Now."

He tried to open the door. It was locked.

The vampire was opening the door. "We need to get out of here." There was a window at the end of the hall. They both sprinted for it. The rusty fire escape outside didn't look stable enough to hold Teresa's weight, let alone both of theirs. "It's both of us or neither, sis."

Teresa opened the window and climbed on. She shimmied down as fast as she could. Ben stepped on it right after her. Rust flakes fell on her face. Teresa jumped the last six feet, so did Ben.

They took off running.

Ramon sat outside the office with his head in his hands. If anyone would listen to him, it was Kate Braxton. They knew each other well enough. She had no reason to dislike him.

"Agent Braxton will see you now." A woman in a business suit said. Ramon nodded and walked in.

"Ramon," Kate said, smiling. "What do you need?" She gestured to a seat.

"I've been framed." He said simply.

"Oh, really? Why?"

"I don't know. To make look guilty of something I didn't do?"

"I mean, what were you framed for?"

"Someone planted a sheet of paper in my room, under my things, that made it seem like I was reporting to the Night World."

"A spy?"

"Yes, I suppose."

"So, why did you come to me? This is something Thierry should handle."

"Well," he stalled, "You were the first person I thought of. So, if any of my housemate call, I want you to know that it was all a big mistake."

Kate nodded. "Of course, Ramon. You do know that this means there will be an investigation. We'll find out who framed you," she said, thinking, 'If you were framed.'

"Thank you, Agent Braxton."

"Is that all you needed to see me about." Ramon nodded, "Okay, you may go." He stood up and left the room. Kate picked up the phone. "Did he sound like he was telling the truth?"

"He was lying," said Tiegra.

You're a bullet through my soul   
But I'll never let you know   
I won't let you fall until you let it go


End file.
